Hanne Danst

In the first episode Hanne returns to the place where it all started 30 years ago: ballet school Chopiniana in Zonhoven. In a year, Hanne wants to dance with Ballet Vlaanderen, but she has barely trained for 15 years, let alone stand on a stage. That will have to change and that is why Hanne has sought a coach: ex-dancer Geneviève Van Quaquebeke. She has to make Hanne a dancer again. It is immediately clear that pointes will become a major obstacle this year. Dancing on pointes is difficult, often very painful and requires very intensive training every day.

Hanne dreams of dancing the balcony scene of the ballet classic 'Romeo and Juliet', in the famous version of Jean-Christophe Maillot, choreographer-director of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo. But whether she will also be allowed to dance that piece, only Maillot can decide in person. In the second episode, Hanne travels to Monaco to meet with Mr. Maillot and his dance company of world level and to ask him if she may venture his 'Roméo et Juliette' ...

After three months of training Hanne has passed a first test: she has - successfully - danced a solo on the annual dance performance of the school of her coach Geneviève Van Quaquebeke. But a few days later a setback follows: Hanne has knee pain that does not want to leave. Dr. Lagae, a knee specialist who has already treated a few Red Devils, is formal: Hanne has to be quick under the knife. Her meniscus is torn and that does not heal automatically.

After a long and strenuous rehabilitation of more than two months, Hanne can dance back. She has to go to Monaco to show her whereabouts, together with her dance partner Gabor Kapin, who will take on the role of Romeo. Dancing on pointes is already a big obstacle for Hanne and now there is an extra dimension: dancing with a partner. The piece that Hanne and Gabor will dance is the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, a pas de deux. One thing is clear, the number of hours that Hanne dances per week has to be increased.

Hanne travels to Venice for a performance of "Roméo et Juliette" by Ballets de Monte Carlo, in the mythical Teatro La Fenice. In a few months she will dance a passage herself, or that is the intention. Because for that she first has to get a 'go' from the choreographer who created the piece in 1996: Jean-Christophe Maillot.

In the last episode, we see how Hanne cares about her final performance in Concertgebouw Brugge. And then it is February 12, the day when Hanne can finally do what she has trained so hard for a year. She dances the balcony scene from 'Roméo et Juliette' of Ballets de Monte-Carlo. Can she dance to pointes? Does her infested right knee hold it? Is she still managing the stress?

At the gala news anchor Hanne Decoutere realizes her dream: together with dance partner Gabor Kapin of Ballet Vlaanderen she dances the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet. After a year of hard training she has been given permission by chorographer Jean-Christophe Maillot of the Ballet of Monte-Carlo to dance her favorite scene. This dance gala is a unique collaboration between different national and international dance companies. We welcome dancers from the Ballet of Monte-Carlo and from Ballet Vlaanderen. In addition, the winners of the competition 'Dance with Hanne', Company J, will also perform, just like dancers from Dansstudio Arabesque and from the Nederlands Dans Theater. The pas de deux van Hanne and Gabor end the evening.